A Mother's Love
by OXBastetXO
Summary: Children can't choose their parents and parents can't choose their children. They simply must make due. Pre-Series.


Title: A Mother's Love

Author: OXBastetXO

Rating: PG

Archive: Please ask first

Status: Complete

Category: Pre-Series

Summary: Children can't choose their parents and parents can't choose their children. They simply must make due.

Spoilers: None really

Sequel/Season: Pre-Series

Authors Note: I don't own The Magnificent Seven, _CBS, MGM, TNN, The Hallmark Station, Trilogy Entertainment Group, The Mirisch Corp._ and others there do. I'm just borrowing them for a while. Though I may keep a certain gambler for a bit longer.

Author's note: This is all SableCain's fault. She got me back into reading Mag7 fanfic and that lead to me buying the first season on DVD....and so, here we go.

* * *

A Mother's Love

by

OXBastetXO

* * *

"It's a boy!" the midwife exclaimed, a wide smile creasing her ruddy features as she cradled the mewling newborn in her arms.

Maude swore under her breath and let her head fall back against the pillows that propped her up. She quickly schooled her face into an appropriate doting expression. "Oh, thank the Lord," she crooned in a faint voice. "Is he.." she fluttered her eyes. "Oh, heavens, is he all right?" she drawled sweetly.

Liza, the midwife, heaved her heavy balk up and set herself to cleaning the child. "Oh, ma'am, he's a love," she said in a broad Irish brogue wiping the newborn with a clean cloth before wrapping him in a receiving blanket covered with tiny embroidered sheep. "Just a wee bit of a thing, ain't he?" she said, handing the baby over his Mother.

Maude took the child, her child, possessively into her arms. She smiled softly at the tiny creature before she caught herself. Catching Liza watching her, she started to gush tearfully over the infant.

Liza clucked happily to herself and crossed her hefty arms across her ample bosom. "I'll go get the Mister for ya, ma'am," she said a grin creasing her ruddy face as she headed out of the room to fetch 'The Father'.

Once the loathsome Liza was gone, Maude quickly set the child down on the bed beside her. She took a few moments to tidy herself up using the small mirror and brush she had stashed under her pillows earlier. Lord, she was a sight. She did what she could and then turned her attention back to the baby.

She sighed. "A boy," she breathed softly in disappointment. A girl would have been preferable. A child she could groom to follow in her foot steps, but this was a change of plans. Disappointing, but not unsalvageable. She would simply have to make do with what she had. She checked the child for defects and was relieved to find none. She took him back into his arms and he blinked owlishly at her and then yawned. She caught herself smiling and shook her head. Lord, what had she gotten herself into?

She had been frantic when she had first realized she was pregnant, cursing herself and Him for getting her into this mess. Next, came desperate search for a suitable man to convince he was the Father. It hadn't been all that hard. Ira, an officer in the local bank, already had been pursuing her. It had been just simple matter of snaring him into proper enticement and then inform him that he had deflowered her and it was up to him to make her an 'honest woman'. Her plan had worked and now here they were.

The door opened slowly and Ira peeked in. "Maude, love?" he called softly, his thick Georgia accent heavy with fatigue. Poor fool must have been worrying himself to a fit by the look of him.

Maude gave him a weary smile and held up the baby in her arms. "I have born you a son," she told him wanly.

Ira whooped snatched the infant from her arms. "A boy! I got me a boy!" he crowed.

"Careful," she said sharply in alarm and caught herself, quickly assuming her wan expression. Danged fool was going to break the child and she had just got him!

Ira gave her suitable contrite look and went back to his inspection of the child.

Maude watched and smiled. Yes, this would work quite well.

Ira caught her eye and grinned. She smiled warmly back.

"We got us a boy, Maude," he said with a grin.

She nodded. Lord, what a fool. A kind, sweet, loving man, but fool.

"We should have us a whole house full of bright strapping boys," he said, with a silly grin on his face.

"Oh, Lord, no," she breathed, but kept a sweet smile on her face. "Yes, dear," she crooned loud enough for him to hear her, thinking, _Just as soon as we are on our feet, my boy and I, I fear I may be a widow, again._

"What shall we call him," Ira drawled, coming to sit beside on the edge of the bed.

She could see the look in his eyes and cut him off, "Ezra," she said before he could recommend his own name. "My Father would be so please," she said demurely. _Like blazes her Father would, even if Ezra had been his name. _

Ira grinned stupidly. "Ezra, it is."

Maude smiled sweetly at him.

Yes, soon enough a widow and then away from this mosquito infested Atlanta bog and somewhere...else. Yes. She and her Ezra would find a much more suitable locale. Soon.

Fin


End file.
